Why Did a California County Fine Them Over $1 Million for Someone Else's Code Violations?
A recent settlement crippled a local code enforcement scheme—and exposed the perils of turning petty violations into government revenue streams.
Excessive Fines
A $95,000 Fine for Transporting a 6-Pack of Beer Defies the Eighth Amendment, a Supreme Court Brief Argues
The history of the Excessive Fines Clause shows why Alaska pilot Ken Jouppi should not lose his airplane simply because he helped a passenger defy a local alcohol ban.
Supreme Court Will Consider Excessive Fines Clause Asset Forfeiture Case
It will review Alaska's confiscation of a $95,000 plane arising from the pilot's illegal transportation of up to 72 cans of beer.
Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Case of Alaska Pilot Whose $95,000 Plane Was Seized Over a 6-Pack of Beer
Ken Jouppi's Eighth Amendment challenge asks the Court to decide whether a fine must be proportional to the gravity of the crime.
A Half-Million Dollar Fine for a Tax Paperwork Oversight
Too many courts ignore the Eighth Amendment’s ban on excessive fines.
A City Fined Her Over $100,000 for Parking on Her Own Grass. The Florida Supreme Court Won't Hear Her Case.
Sandy Martinez's little-known story is a microcosm of the broader debate over what, exactly, transgresses the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on excessive fines.
They Face $1 Million in Fines—for Someone Else's Code Violations
Humboldt County, California's sketchy code enforcement scheme piles ruinous fines on innocent people and sets them up to lose.
An Alaska Man's $95,000 Plane Was Seized Over a 6-Pack of Beer. Now He's Taking His Case to the Supreme Court.
Alaska has been trying to seize Ken Jouppi's Cessna for 13 years over a misdemeanor crime.
An Appeals Court Says the $464 Million Fine in Trump's Civil Fraud Case Violated the Eighth Amendment
The decision overturns a staggering "disgorgement" order that was based on dubious math.
Nova Scotia Bans Everyone From Hiking in the Woods Until October
The province says this will prevent forest fires. Those who violate the ban will face a $25,000 fine.
Louisiana Wildlife Officials Killed a Blind Deer After a Family Nursed It Back to Health
The family also faced over $1,600 in fines, which were ultimately dropped.
Montreal Fines Church $2,500 for Hosting a Controversial American Singer
Christian artist Sean Feucht has been forced to find new venues for all six of his most recent shows in Canada.
She Got a Permit for Her Chickens. Now the City Is Fining Her $80,000.
The Douglas, Michigan, city government is hitting a homeowner with crushing fines after reversing its own approval. She’s fighting back in federal court.
Campaign Finance Laws Institutionalize Corruption
Powerful political allies get a pass, while dissenters are crushed with massive fines. This isn’t a flaw in the system—it’s the point.
Florida Woman Fined $165,000 for Trivial Code Violations Takes Her Case to the Florida Supreme Court
Sandy Martinez was fined for a parking violation on her own property, driveway cracks, and a storm-damaged fence.
The Government Threatened To Seize His Home Over Tall Grass
Bureaucrats in Dunedin, Florida, originally hit Jim Ficken with a fine close to $30,000. When he couldn't pay that, things turned dire.
The European Commission Is Assaulting American Tech Companies
Meta, Apple, Microsoft, and others have all faced legal action from the European Union in recent years.
Ohio Legislature Passes Bill Ending Driver's License Suspensions for Court Debts
Media investigations found over 3 million active license suspensions in the state.
Chip Mellor's Legacy Promotes a Broader Concept of Civil Liberties
For more than three decades, the Institute for Justice has shown that economic freedom and private property are essential safeguards for ordinary Americans.
Justice Department Says a Small Mississippi Town Ran a Dickensian Debtor's Prison
Federal investigators say police in Lexington, Mississippi, used illegal searches, excessive force, and kept residents in jail when they couldn't pay off old fines.
California County Fines Man $120,000 for Refusing to Evict a Family From His Property
Plus, a look at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Tina Smith's plan to resurrect public housing in America.
Students in This Illinois School District Are Getting Tickets for Misbehaving
The fines, which can reach over $750, are disproportionately likely to be handed out to black students, a complaint with the Education Department alleges.
Florida Man's Tall Grass Saga Comes to an End
One man’s overgrown yard became a six-year struggle against overzealous code enforcement.
A Florida Judge Says $165,000 in Fines for 3 Minor Code Violations Is Not 'Excessive'
Sandy Martinez faces that bill because of driveway cracks, a storm-damaged fence, and cars parked on her own property that illegally touched her lawn.
Miami Beach's Breakup With Spring Breakers May Fare Poorly for the City
Efforts to revamp the tourist hot spot ignore the reality for local business owners.
Ending Fees and Fines for Juvenile Offenders is Best for Rehabilitation
A former chief judge of Delaware's Family Court argues that imposing fines and fees on juvenile offenders undermines their potential to become productive, law-abiding adults.
Major Unanimous Supreme Court Victory for Property Rights in Tyler v. Hennepin County
The Supreme Court ruled that home equity theft qualifies as a taking, and that state law is not the sole source for the definition of property rights. The ruling is imprecise on some points, but still sets an important and valuable precedent.
Coverage of Alabama Town's Predatory Fines and Seizures Earns Journalists a Pulitzer
The Brookside Police Department’s shakedown of travelers became a national news story and prompted federal lawsuits.
The IRS Serves Its 'Customers' by Terrifying Them
A $2.1 million penalty for failing to file a form on time reveals the agency’s true nature.
Supreme Court Declines Case Challenging Excessive IRS Penalties
Should an elderly grandmother be forced to hand over millions of dollars to the government for failing to file a particular form?
They Fell Behind on Their Property Taxes. So the Government Sold Their Homes—and Kept the Profits.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear 94-year-old Geraldine Tyler's case challenging home equity theft.
Supreme Court Decides to Hear Case Challenging State Law Empowering Government to Seize Entire Value of a House to Pay Much Smaller Property Tax Debt
Minnesota law allowed Hennepin County to seize a $40,000 home owned by a 93-year-old widow to pay off a $15,000 tax debt.
Woman Can Sue Alabama Cops for Towing Car as Part of Town's Profiteering Scheme
A federal judge denied qualified immunity for officers accused of making up charges to get money from fines.
